Stephen w



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NAILS FOR LEATHER-WORK.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,382, dated September 27, 1864.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN W. BALDWIN, of Baldwinsville, county of Onondaga, State of New York, have invented an Improved Nail for Leather-Vork; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention, sufficient to enable those skilled n the art to practice it.

My invention has reference to the means employed to fasten together pieces of leathersuch, for instance, as the soles and Vamps of boots and shoes, harness, traces, d'c. The means employed for this purpose heretofore have been the various stitches made by hand and by machine, wooden pegs, (as seen in the common pegged boots and shoes,) and metallic nails, cement also being used to some extent. l

My invention consists in a nail of peculiar construction, which nail is driven into a hole previously prepared-in the leather by an awl or instrument having a form at its puncturing end corresponding or approximating to the form of the nail, as will be hereinafter set forth.

The object of the improvement is to enable me to construct a nail from thin sheet metal, having a holding power beyond what is due to the form of the material as cut straight from the plate, a very strong holding power' being attained in avery slight amount of metal, which does not possess strength and rigidity enough to enable it to be driven into ihe leather, excepting by the pre-action of the awl, but which, when driven in, has advantages in its holding power far beyond that possessed by the common shoe-nails or wooden pegs. A

Figure l represents an elevation of the nail; Fig. 2, an end view of it 5 Fig. 3, an edge View of it; Fig. 4, a view of the awl or puncturing-tool.

The nail is cut or stamped out from asheetor plate in a long and somewhat triangular form, (the top of the nail having a width very much greater than its thickness) and a twist is then given iu the length of the nail, the point, as shown, being twisted about ninety degrees, which amount, however, may be varied as circumstances may require. 'The point of the awl, which has a similar twist, is, of course, made of suticient strength or rigidity to enable it to be driven into the leather to make the puncture for the nail, the twist upon the awl giving the instrument a rotary motion, as it is driven, conforming to said twist.

Upon removal ot' the awl the nail may he easily driven into place without bending or breaking it. The twist in the nail causes the pieces of leather to be held very firmly together. If the nail were regular in formation the leather would easily slip upon the surface thereof; but when twisted it must be turned, or one or both of the pieces ofleather turned, before they can be separated, excepting by a greater strainl than can be brought upon the pieces of leather by ordinary wear. As the lower end of the nail, however, is quite narrow or tapering, the point is generally to be clinched upon the stock.

The great width given to the top of the nail, in proportion to its thickness, prevents wear of the stock around or against the head, sufficient to start the nail or to start the leather from position.

I claim- A nail having the form of construction adapting it for use, substantially as described.

STEPHEN W. BALDWIN.

Witnesses J. B. Cnosnv, FRANCIS GoULn. 

